There are 39 District Squash Associations in the United States. Each issue, we will feature one of these all volunteer groups, whose hard work and dedication serve to grow the game of squash at the local level.
Massachusetts Squash, a district association (DA) consisting of nearly 1,250 members, including 20% women and 220 juniors, has supported the game of squash for over 100 years. The DA, formerly known as the Massachusetts Squash Racquets Association, is a not-for-profit corporation, governed by a Board of Directors elected for one-year terms at the annual meeting. The 16 current board members voluntarily perform all the functions required to provide a high level of service to our members.
The biggest effort is expended on organizing eight skill level leagues (five Open and three for Women only) and one age-group (50 plus) league headed by Coordinators Dan Reagan, Bry Roskoz, and Linda Watts, a past-President, has handled the league scheduling for years. The result is league play four nights a week at most of our member clubs, with over 500 players participating. The adult leagues run for about 15 weeks beginning in mid-October, with time off for holidays, followed by a two or three week playoff to determine the eventual champion. Massachusetts Squash also provides a six-weekend round-robin league experience for beginning junior players using the courts at Harvard University, designed to give juniors some competitive experience before they begin entering tournaments.
The Massachusetts tournament lineup includes a club-run five tournament Grand Prix series where participants accumulate points to win a season-end prize. There are several club-run tournaments focused on the senior circuit, headed by the Maugus Club’s venerable Mature Event. Club professionals run junior tournaments for Future Stars and Silver level players during school holiday breaks. In mid-winter, the Massachusetts State Tournaments begin using a self-scheduling format concluding with a Finals Night, the skill level and age group division finals, featuring over 20 matches in one evening. Entry into state tournaments is free for members of the Association, resulting in large draws and great crowds. The largest local tournaments are run by our Junior Committee, headed by Tom Poor, and supported by some of the most loyal squash parents you will find anywhere. The group has run at least three major junior tournaments each year for boys and girls age groups ranging from U-11 to U-19. This season’s tournament schedule will again include a US Squash Selection event, the Frank Millet Championships, named after the celebrated long-time Milton Academy coach. We are also very proud to lend financial and personnel support to the Howe Cup, the US Women’s Team Championships event, which just concluded a very successful 52nd annual tournament in Boston, and we will host the U.S. Mixed Doubles Championships, February 1-3, 2008.
We welcome you to view our web site at www.ma-squash.org where you can see for yourself the results of a very active squash community dedicated to advancing the game in any way it can.
US Squash would like to thank all the Massachusetts Squash Board Members for their service to the sport:
Sam Magruder
Simon Graham
Nat Lovell
Bill Boardman
Carl Cummings
Eric Godes
Dan Reagan
Bry Roskoz
Domonique Fairinaux-Dumas
Eric Kirby
Linda Watts
Preston Quick
Lenny Bernheimer
Tom Poor
Sarah Lemaire
Merrill Martin
